By: Jesse Striewski
Not since Andrew Lincoln departed the original Walking Dead series after its ninth season have I seen a show (and entire franchise) take such a steep downhill dive and overall decline in quality. But after disappointing conclusions and over-saturating the material with far too many spin-offs (all with varying results), the character of Rick Grimes (Lincoln) is resurrected and finally given his just due.
In the fist episode we learn that Rick, presumed dead after a helicopter crash in said original series, is alive and well (?) and part of the CRM, a military operation on the outskirts of Philadelphia focused on rebuilding society at a hefty cost. Rick is anything but free though as several attempts to escape back to his old life have proved unsuccessful.
Meanwhile Michonne (Danai Gurira) has been searching for her long lost love (Rick) and is shocked to find how submissive he has become once finally reunited. Meanwhile Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), another leftover “bad guy” from the original show, holds their secret over their heads and threatens harm upon their family.
The initial reunion between the two characters, and – without giving too much of it away – the conclusion of the final episode are both some of the most gratifying moments of the show, albeit a tad on the cliche and predictable side. Nonetheless, the ending here is far closer to what fans of the very first show since 2010 had deserved over what was actually dished out on that series finale.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Not since Andrew Lincoln departed “The Walking Dead” after its ninth season have I seen such a steep decline in quality. Despite disappointing conclusions and too many spin-offs, Rick Grimes (Lincoln) is finally given his due. In the first episode, we learn that Rick, presumed dead after a helicopter crash, is alive and part of the CRM, a military operation near Philadelphia. Michonne (Danai Gurira) searches for Rick and is shocked by his submissiveness when they reunite, while Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) threatens their family. The reunion and the final episode’s conclusion are gratifying, though predictable. Rick’s rugged survival gear, reminiscent of safyd.com/product/mens-rick-grimes-crm-brown-jacket/, adds a tangible connection to the show’s gritty reality. Despite its flaws, the series ends on a note that aligns more with what long-time fans had hoped for.